16-07-2025
Greyhounds assistant joins Canada's national under-17 coaching staff
Soo Greyhounds assistant coach Brendan Taylor will be joining Canada's national under-17 coaching staff at the 2025 U17 World Challenge, Hockey Canada announced Tuesday afternoon.
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'I'm very honoured,' Taylor told The Sault Star. 'Anytime you get to work for your national team and be selected by the national team is a big thing and a big honour, and I'm really happy I could represent the Soo Greyhounds with Hockey Canada.'
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Joining Taylor will be the Prince Albert Raiders' Ryan McDonald as the head coach of Canada Red.
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The Drummondville Voltigeurs' Mathieu Gravel will also serve as an assistant coach, with the Saskatoon Blades' Jeff Harvey serving as a goaltending consultant and the Chicoutimi Sagueneens' Enrick Corneau operating as video coach.
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Taylor has spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the Greyhounds. Before landing in the Soo, Taylor spent six seasons with the Mississauga Steelheads as an assistant coach after serving as the video coach in 2016-17.
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He said he's looking forward to the unique experience of coaching 16-year-old CHL rookies, who will only have about six weeks of major junior experience when they hit the ice together in Nova Scotia in November.
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'It's really cool to be working with the very best at their age group across the country, and I think for myself it will be a great learning experience,' said Taylor, who received the news two weeks ago.
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The former OHLer also said the appointment is 'a big step for me on my path to becoming a head coach in the league.'
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John Dean extension: 'Well deserved'
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Greyhounds head coach John Dean received a two-year contract extension last week, extending through the 2026-27 OHL season.
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Dean has compiled a 206-155-29-14 record through six seasons behind the Soo bench, advancing to the second round of the post-season three times in four playoff appearances.
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However, last season was a down year, with the team finishing well below .500 and bowing out in the first round to the Windsor Spitfires. Although the team enjoyed a successful 2023-24 campaign with a 45-18-5 record, the 2022-23 season was somewhat forgettable with the team missing the playoffs entirely.
